Much change was expected of the Steelers defense even as the final whistle was blown in last week's playoff loss to the Baltimorons. The most talked about moves for the defense where what the Steelers would do with the four graybeards of the defense, DL Brett Keisel, CB Ike Taylor, LB James Harrison and S Troy Polamalu. Mrs. Black-N-Gold had even braced herself for the eventual departure of the Best Safety To Play The Game. Ever.
Just a few days ago the announcement was made that the Steelers and Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley agreed on a 2 year contract. And then, the bombshell. Ok, maybe it wasn't that much of an earth-shattering surprise that Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau would not return. After all, Coach LeBeau has worked on a year-to-year basis for the past several seasons. At 77 years of age, it was never a question of "if" he retires, but "when".
The thing is, the Steelers and Coach LeBeau made it known in their announcement that this is a mutual parting of the ways. Coach LeBeau said that this does not mean he's retiring. Apparently the Steelers have decided to take the defense in a different direction and wanted to spare themselves another Bruce Arians "retirement"-type embarrassment.
The question is, "Now what"? It' always been implied that longtime, ever-loyal LB Coach Keith Butler was the heir apparent. Ever the conspiracy-theorist, Mrs. Black-N-Gold wonders if that's truly the case. Was the writing on the wall for both Coach LeBeau and Coach Butler when the Steelers brought in former LB Joey Porter this season? Porter holds the title "Defensive Assistant" but it's always been described as LB Coach. Waitaminute! Isn't that Coach Butler's title? See what I mean? Sounds like mixed signals to me.
And should one wonder where Coach LeBeau will land? He made a point of saying that this is not a retirement. If he did decide to "retire", Arizona could be a nice destination point. Cardinals DC Todd Bowles has been busy on the interview circuit, in search of a head coaching gig. The Cardinals love to collect Black-N-Gold pieces in the desert. It would give Coach LeBeau an opportunity to reunite with another Steelers retiree, the aforementioned Arians.
Whatever the outcome, you can't blame Coach LeBeau if he continues his illustrious coaching career. He was revered in Pittsburgh for many seasons by his charges. They always listened intently as he recited "The Night Before Christmas" to them every holiday season. They also showed the ultimate respect when Coach LeBeau was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The entire Steelers team left training camp for the road trip to Canton, with many of his players donning Dick LeBeau Lions jerseys in honor of their leader.
No doubt about it, Coach LeBeau will be missed in these parts. Unfortunately, through no fault of his own, the defense had fallen out of their usual position as one of the top defenses in the league, in recent years. He could thank the Steelers failure to upgrade several defensive positions through the draft for that. Shame on Mrs. Black-N-Gold, she had even queried in this very column this season regarding Coach LeBeau's abilities. There had also been those in the street that suggested that players hadn't developed in recent years due to the degree of difficulty in learning Coach LeBeau's defense. Some people wonder if this gives the Steelers the opportunity to abandon the long-used 3-4 defense and make the switch to the 4-3.
It's hard to believe Coach LeBeau won't be involved with an NFL organization in some form this coming season. He's been in the league as a player/coach since 1959. Coach's first stint in Pittsburgh was as a defensive backfield coach from 1992-1994 under Bill Cowher, becoming Defensive Coordinator for the first time for 1995-1996. After time with the Bungles and Bills, Coach returned to the Black-N-Gold sideline, again as Defensive Coordinator, with Cowher and then with Mike Tomlin, from 2004-2014.
Under Coach Lebeau's watch, the Steelers D ranked #1 in the NFL 5 times, in the top 5 in the league 10 times. His defenses led the Steelers to 2 Super Bowl wins and a 3rd appearance in the Big Game. Sporting News named him 2008 Coordinator of the Year. All of this came on the heals of a Hall of Fame career as a cornerback for the Detroit Lions. He was enshrined in Canton in 2010.
Mrs. Black-N-Gold and the Black-N-Gold Nation wishes Coach LeBeau nothing but the best. Thank you for bringing Blitzburgh to Pittsburgh and putting the "D" back in the defense, Coach.
No comments:
Post a Comment